BEACHCOMBER

Original British 15 1/2 inch x 12 inch Poster for the 1954 Muriel Box Comedy THE BEACHCOMBER, based on a story by W. Somerset Maugham and starring Robert Newton, Glynis Johns, Donald Sinden, Donald Pleasence, Paul Rogers, Michael Hordern, Ronald Lewis and Ronald Adam.

A well-cast Newton catches the eye and ear as an East Indies drunk who encounters zealous missionary Johns in this remake of Somerset Maugham’s ‘Vessel of Wrath’.

Poster art by Josh Kirby (1928 – 2001). A commercial artist born on the outskirts of Liverpool in the town of Waterloo, Lancashire he studied at Liverpool City School of Art from 1943 until 1948 and settling in London in around 1951. His professional freelance career started in the early 1950s when Kirby illustrated film posters for Pulford Publicity in London and a film company in Paris. In the 70s, Kirby returned to film poster art for publicity agency FEREF. Working alongside designer Eddie Paul, Kirby depicted the characters for Star Wars: Return of the Jedi, The Beastmaster and Krull, among many others.

Poster design by Eric Pulford (1915 – 2005). Having taken life classes at Leeds College of Art for 5 years Pulford was apprenticed as a commercial artist in 1931 to Gilchrist Bros a process house of 24 staff. Leslie Whitchurch, a partner in a Leicester based agency and also a part-time publicity manager for Rank, became aware of Pulford’s work and asked him to do some freelance work for him. Then in 1943 Rank invited Pulford to start a publicity department for them in London resulting in posters for “Henry V”, “Odd Man Out” and “Oliver Twist”. When the head of Downtons advertising agency, Charles Collins, died, Pulford was asked to take over. He became chairman and managing director but still spent most of his time designing posters. He retired in 1986. Pulford is responsible, either through his own artwork or design, for several hundred posters, some for classic films such as the ones already mentioned plus “Edge of the World”, “The Importance of Being Earnest”, “Genevieve”, “Reach for the Sky” and “A Night to Remember”. He is, without doubt, the most important force in British film poster design from the mid-1940s to the early 1980s.

The poster is in very good condition with minor creasing and tiny tears at the edges. On the reverse are the film credits and synopsis.